Creativity is a loaded term with a lot of stigma (positive and negative). It’s perceived as a god-given talent few possess; a stroke of genius. Though it may come natural to some more than others, I hold the belief that every human being can be creative. Whether one can do it or not is a different question. Edward de Bono, one of history’s greatest minds, believed that creativity is a skill and can be nurtured like any other.

Like dating and seeking relationships, the creative genius is something we romanticize a lot. We imagine the meet cute moment when a perfect moment comes to experience it, never seeking it. Instead of getting the magical meeting bumping into each other moment in a movie, you’ll probably meet your spouse waiting for jury duty. In the same way, the creative spark may not have a magical story and the best ideas are when you’re taking a shower or on the toilet. How it happens matters less than it happening.

Let’s look at ways to summon creativity. To be clear, you cannot be creative on demand. However, you can build the conduits and develop rituals to make it more conducive.

Creating the environment

Cleanse the palate

Like pickled ginger for sushi, you need a palate cleanser for creative work. It's difficult to summon creativity if you just got out of an entire day of meetings or the mind is occupied by other things. Give yourself a few hours (or days) to be lazy and let all the distracting thoughts get out of your head.

Keep company that’ll inspire and grow you

Milton Glaser's AIGI talk in London, "Ten Things I Have Learned" sums the opposite well. Some people are toxic, avoid them. Instead of telling you what to avoid, I recommend seeking people who will inspire you and challenge you to grow. I don’t have room in my life for people who are constantly Debbie Downers. However, it’s not to surround yourself around yes men who only say what you want to hear. That is also toxic.

Seek people who are like-minded, but not identical. Some of the best friends I have are ones that can challenge my perspectives or push me to consider other things. It’s more inspiring than creating an echo chamber. Through the tension and alternative perspectives, something new might emerge. The company you keep really does matter.

Make a sacred space

Identify the space in your life that invokes creativity. This might be a studio, a hike you enjoy, a coffee shop, or a corner in your apartment. Keep it sacred and do not allow bad ju ju in. Retreating to this space lets you think and be surrounded by inspiration. For me it's sitting at the corner of my desk at our house in Palm Springs and listening to Hans Zimmer soundtracks. Almost always, it sparks some momentum to create.

Activities to spark creativity

Keep a notebook, re-visit old ones

I have a library of thoughts and collected ideas over the past decade on my LECHTTURM 1917 notebooks. As I continue to immerse in AI tools, the analog notebook is my go-to for summoning creativity.

Binge watch a creative film or television series

One of my biggest creative moments came from watching episodes of The Simpsons with the DVD writer's commentary on after graduating college. Television shows and movies are some of the greatest artifacts of creative outputs. Enjoy them and take time to study them. If I'm feeling lazy, I start watching media and take notes on what I find creatively inspiring. It may be the cinematography, a great line of dialog, or a well-designed costume.

Free-writing sessions

I recommend doing Morning Pages with 750words.com. It’s as simple as the name; write 750 words every morning. As the runner may start moving then figure out the route she wants to take, the same goes with writing. Momentum is the key to anything creative. People ask me how I’ve been able to build a consistent habit of writing. It’s because I have a huge volume of bad writing I can refine into something better. Commit to an amount of time, go to your favorite space to write, and start writing.

Travel or read (or both)

The number one way to be creative is to generate a lot of ideas, and a way to get a lot of new ideas is leaving your world. If you want to explore the world, travel. If do not have the means for travel, then read—the best way to transport yourself to other worlds. Even better, travel and read.

Summon your creativity

Give a few of these ideas a try and develop your own. Creativity requires intention. It cannot be forced but can be nurtured. It's a combination of rest, cleansing the mind, and sending a broadcast to the creative energy in the world. The next time you feel stuck, cleanse that palate and start summoning.